Ryan's ‘Research’ put to good use

The Southwest Research Institute engineer assumes SAE President duties for 2008.

As a young man fresh out of high school, 20/20 vision played a pivotal role in charting the course of Thomas W. Ryan III's academic and professional life. Now, as SAE International President for 2008, Ryan, an Institute Engineer at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), is set to have a great impact on a different kind of 2020 vision-that of SAE International.

As a child growing up in Cresson, PA-a small town about 80 mi (130 km) east of Pittsburgh-Ryan tinkered with various types of mechanics and developed an interest in math and science in high school, which eventually spurred a desire to study engineering at one of the country's military academies.